New investments in Elbasan regional hospital

Construction of a fundamentally transformed hospital centre featuring best hospital infrastructure and technology in the city of Elbasan is set to complete by June. Meanwhile, the Emergency Hospital project is scheduled for completion in time, with its services being modernized with cutting-edge medical equipment. The magnetic resonance imaging is the latest investment. The new state-of-the-art device has become operational 10 days ago, serving patients in Elbasan and the surrounding areas.

Prime Minister Edi Rama today visited the new hospital’s construction site, accompanied by the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Ogerta Manastirliu, who explained that the magnetic resonance imaging equipment, worth of $770 000, completes the entire imaging service, crucially important for detection of a series of diseases.

“The magnetic resonance device completes the whole imaging service along with other cutting-edge medical equipment, including the portable X-ray machine, which has been installed in a special facility. The digital X-ray machine has been supplied to this hospital under the World Bank programme on modernization of Albania’s hospitals and healthcare centres, which includes also another set of other equipment. The magnetic resonance, worth of $770 000, is part of this investment, which has been already installed and is now fully operational. The whole imaging service is now concentrated in one single facility,” Manastirliu said.

The radiology and imaging services personnel said the investment was a long missing service and much desired service for the healthcare personnel and patients alike.

“It is a 2018 magnetic resonance device that provides clear images. It will best serve to patients in Elbasan prefecture, who will no longer need to travel to Tirana or other regions in order to undergo MRI examinations,” a radiologist said.

Given that the new MRI device serves to all citizens in Elbasan district, Health Minister noted that it will also reduce the patient appointment and wait times to four weeks only, an optimal time for EU countries as well.

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For six months now, the old surgical hospital facility, built in 1976 in the city of Elbasan, is undergoing a full reconstruction project designed to turn into the Emergency and Pathology Hospital, with two main services, Neurology and Cardiology.

The 76-bed facility, namely 25 for the Emergency Ward, 35 for the Cardiology Department and 23 for Neurology, will provide services according to regional hospital standards. “The rehabilitation work is about to complete. The new Emergency and Pathology Hospital will provide two main services, Neurology and Cardiology, while emergency service will considerably improve also thanks to the cooperation with the laboratory and the imaging service. The project is set to complete by June, and even earlier and the facility will meet the regional hospital standards,” Manastirliu said, adding that the health polyclinics in Vlora will complete by March or April and the Paediatric Hospital in Durres will complete this year.

PM Rama emphasized that altering the concept of hospital and patient care was very important.

“The main challenge is to keep people away from hospitals, in the sense that hospitals are facilities for treatment of patients, and not a place for crowds of people to gather. Of course, more should be invested in this aspect, as an hospital where rule and peace must absolutely prevail. A major transformation has taken place, for the sake of truth. It was a terrible place, but it is now gradually taking shape,” the Premier said, underlining that this transformation should be associated by an internal functioning rule, so that the hospital does not turn into a “crossing and entry line.”